CBS Sports Network is moving up the dial on DirecTV

The more I think about it, the more I like what DirecTV decided to do with the ESPN alternates.

First off, think of how often the alt feeds get used. During college football, they get used quite a bit. Beyond that, though, I'm not sure if they ever get used (if they do, it's only on occasion).

Now think about someone who likes to channel surf (yes, there are still people who do that, including people in my household). If they're switching between the four ESPN channels, and if there were alt feeds interleaved among them, it would add more remote clicks to get where they're going.

Finally, remember that there are two alt feed, but the channels they are meant to substitute can vary. I think there have even been times when the same alt feed provided alternate programming for two channels (i.e. those blacked out on ESPN or ESPN2 got the same alternate programming). Also, I want to say there was a time when two markets were blacked out of the same event but got two different alternate feeds, though this would be rare. All in all, trying to have the alt feeds linked up with the channels they are meant to replace can get messy at times. It's simpler for DirecTV to have dedicated slots for the two feeds.

Now think about someone who likes to channel surf (yes, there are still people who do that, including people in my household). If they're switching between the four ESPN channels, and if there were alt feeds interleaved among them, it would add more remote clicks to get where they're going.

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I am not sure I follow your logic. When I channel surf, I punch in the three digit number for the channel I want to go to. It does not matter if I am going from 206 to 209 or from 206 to 646. I am not sure how that will work with the subchannels.

I am not sure I follow your logic. When I channel surf, I punch in the three digit number for the channel I want to go to. It does not matter if I am going from 206 to 209 or from 206 to 646. I am not sure how that will work with the subchannels.

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"Channel surfing" has really become "Guide surfing."

BTW, I hardly ever punch in numbers. How 1990s of you.

Oh, and you will punch in 209-1, 209-2. With the ESPN Alts, you had to punch in 5 buttons for HD anyway.

Well channel surfing by pressing up and down channel buttons will have zero affect. You'll still scroll through them.

I think making it obvious is much simpler than saying, ok we have espn alt channels and this one may be for espn, this one for espn2 etc since they are different actual channels. Whereas with dash, its obvious what that alt channel is for. Its for the non dash channel.

I still wonder if alt channels should even be in the guide though unless something is scheduled for them within say 24 hours.

Well channel surfing by pressing up and down channel buttons will have zero affect. You'll still scroll through them.

I think making it obvious is much simpler than saying, ok we have espn alt channels and this one may be for espn, this one for espn2 etc since they are different actual channels. Whereas with dash, its obvious what that alt channel is for. Its for the non dash channel.

I still wonder if alt channels should even be in the guide though unless something is scheduled for them within say 24 hours.

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I miss the ability of the original systems to be able to filter out channels that had only TBA on them. That would be nice.

I still wonder if alt channels should even be in the guide though unless something is scheduled for them within say 24 hours.

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That's what the old MPG guide system did. It made it impossible to schedule a recording in advanced or set a reminder/autotune if your game was on an alternate feed or a part time RSN.

The description of the ESPN alternates are kind of misleading though, when there's a blackout ESPN just provides ESPNEWS to the affected systems. The alternates are more for the regional games like the reverse mirrors ABC and ESPN2 does for College football where the more local game is on ABC while ESPN2 has the other game.